The present invention relates to a backrest mechanism for a stand-up rider operator's platform in an industrial vehicle.
Some of industrial vehicles such as towing tractors, order picking trucks and reach fork lift trucks have a stand-up rider operator's platform in which the operator keeps standing in controlling the vehicle operation. A vehicle of this stand-up rider operator's platform type generally has no seat for operator, so that the operator conducts towing or elevating operation while standing. A conventional backrest mechanism has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-132525, which is directed to stabilize operator's position. This backrest structure allows operators to conduct operation while being seated.
However, operators often walk through operator's platform in stand-up rider industrial vehicles, so that the backrest mechanism as disclosed in the above publication impedes operator's movement because it is located in the operator's platform. The backrest mechanism as disclosed in the above publication has a backrest portion and a seat portion. However, it does not allow the operator to conduct operation only with the backrest portion or only with the seat portion. Thus, the above backrest mechanism does not provide so many operating positions in accordance with operator's physical condition, fatigue, or the like. The present invention, which has been made in view of the above problems, is directed to a backrest mechanism for a stand-up rider operator's platform in an industrial vehicle, which is located at a position where the operator's movement is not impeded thereby and also permits the operator to use only either one of the backrest portion and the seat portion in operating the vehicle.